More than two months after they defied the party whip to vote in favour of No Confidence Motion against the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government, State Legislative Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar may decide the fate of 16 rebel MLAs of the Congress party on Wednesday.

According to sources, the Speaker may announce his decision on the disqualification petition filed by the Congress Legislature Party against its 16 MLAs. The decision on the fate of Praja Rajyam Party MLA Shobha Nagi Reddy may also be decided on Wednesday. After the filing of disqualification petition against her by the PRP, Shobha Nagi Reddy has submitted her resignation from the assembly membership.

It may be mentioned that the Speaker has served a show cause notice to 16 rebel MLAs on December 19 for defying the party whip. The notices were served following the petition submitted by the then Congress party whip Kondru Murali Mohan on December 12 seeking their disqualification for violating the party whip. The MLAs have joined the YSR Congress party and voted against the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government during the No Confidence Motion on December 5.

The MLAs were asked to give their explanations by December 29. However, the MLAs did not reply to the notice and even refused to meet the Speaker when they were summoned. They admitted that they have openly defied the party whip in favour of farmers.